Drumsticks with Sweet Chipotle Sauce

Oh Chipotle.. I have a funny and yet embarrassing experience about using too much chipotle peppers in a recipe… We were supposed to have some guests at my place a while ago but I needed to be somewhere else, so my husband stayed at home to feed our guests. I made some food for my husband to serve and went where I needed to be. Well, apparently the food I made was so extremely hot that they were all sitting down at the table sweating, drinking lots of milk. Well, there I learned my lesson that you DON’T want to use a whole can of chipotle chilies in one recipe…. ha ha

I love chipotle.. the flavor is just amazing! This time I used only 4 little chipotle chilies in this recipe but you can use less for milder flavor. My family loves spicy things… I guess that’s a given. I’m Korean. Koreans love spicy food. My husband is not Korean but he’s like Korean at heart. He loves Korean food. Although chipotle isn’t Korean food but I love it and I think all Koreans would love it, too, for its delicious yet spicy flavor.

I’d never really tried using drumsticks before but after trying this recipe, I’m wondering why I never had! I do like the texture of drumsticks. So tender… and with the sweet and spicy chipotle flavor. My husband was also a big fan of this dish. I think I need to make some more soon!

The sauce is very simple to make – only three ingredients. Chipotle chilies, maple syrup, and garlic. Maple syrup adds a sweet flavor to the sauce.

To make this recipe, you will need 6-8 drumsticks. Use more if you’re cooking for a large group. Make chipotle sauce by combining chipotle chilies, maple syrup, and garlic in a bowl.

Marinade the drumsticks in half of the sauce in a bowl for 30 minutes. Grill the drumsticks and grill the drumsticks on a grill pan, both sides, until the outside of the drumsticks has grill marks and cooked, about 3-4 minutes each side.

Transfer the drumsticks to a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Brush the drumsticks with the remaining chipotle sauce. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees F, about 35 minutes, or until the drumsticks are cooked through.

Combine the chipotle chilies and the sauce, maple syrup, and garlic in a blender and pulse until smooth.

Marinade the drumsticks in half of the sauce for about 30 minutes.

Heat oil in grilling pan over medium high heat, place the marinaded drumsticks and cook 3-4 minutes on each side, until there are grill marks on the drumsticks and the outside of the drumsticks is cooked.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the drumsticks to the pan and brush with the remaining chipotle sauce evenly on the drumsticks.

Bake at 400 degrees F, about 35-40 minutes or until the drumsticks are cooked through.